Ernie Taylor, 80, inspects one of the levels of his Christmas model display. Taylor has been making elaborate setups for over 60 years. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

JEFFERSON TWP — Ask Ernie Taylor, 80, who helps him put up his 10-foot tall animated Christmas display and accompanying miniature amusement park, and a pair of normally laughing eyes will turn deadly serious.

“The only person who puts up the tree in this house is me,” Taylor said. “There's no such thing as help with this.”

Holly Taylor Mead corroborated her father's claim.

“When we were kids, we weren't allowed to touch it,” she said from 15 feet away.

Taylor's display, in the living room of his Mushrush Road home, is comprised of seven round platforms that vary in size from large at the very bottom to small on top. The platforms, which are about a foot apart, replicate the shape of a huge Christmas tree.

This is the second year Taylor has used the wooden “tree” that a friend of Mead's made for him.

Each platform is covered with “snow” before Taylor — and only Taylor — places about 80 ceramic buildings, miniature trees, horse and sleigh complete with riders and myriad other features on each platform.

The buildings and other holiday accoutrements are not added willy nilly.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.

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